Tunneling machine with tandem spoil barriers

ABSTRACT

A TUNNELING MACHINE FOR EXCAVATING THROUGH RELATIVELY MUCK EARTH STRATA GENERATING FLUID SPOIL, SAID MACHINE HAVING A SHIELD WITH A FIXED SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED BULKHEAD AND AN EXCAVATING WHEEL AHEAD OF THE BULKHEAD, SAID WHEEL HAVING A FACE WHICH CAN BE SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETELY CLOSED TO BREAST FLUID SPOIL, WHEREBY TWO SPOIL BARRIERS IN TANDEM RESIST FLOW OF FLUID SPOIL. THE WHEEL HAS A SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED FRONT FACE WITH RADIALLY ELONGATED OPENINGS, TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING PINTLES SPANNING SAID OPENINGS AT A POINT INTERMEDIATE THE RADIAL EXTENT THEREOF AND GATES SWINGABLE ON SAID PINTLES TO SELECTIVELY MUCKY EARTH STRATA GENERATING FLUID SPOIL, SAID MACHINE SIDE OF THE SPINTLE MOVING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE FRONT WALL AS GATE PORTIONS AT THE OTHER SDE OF THE PINTLE MOVE INWARDLY OF SAID WALL.

J. R. TABOR 3,667,808

lUNNELING MACHINE WITH TANDEM SPOIL BARRIERS June 6, 1972 Original. Filed July 9, 1968 United States Patent O US. Cl. 29933 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tunneling machine for excavating through relatively muck earth strata generating fluid spoil, said machine having a shield with a fixed substantially closed bulkhead and an excavating wheel ahead of the bulkhead, said wheel having a face which can be substantially completely closed to breast fluid spoil, whereby two spoil barriers in tandem resist flow of fluid spoil. The wheel has a substantially closed front face with radially elongated openings, transversely extending pintles spanning said openings at a point intermediate the radial extent thereof and gates swingable on said pintles to selectively mucky earth strata generating fluid spoil, said machine side of the pintle moving outwardly beyond the front wall as gate portions at the other side of the pintle move inwardly of said wall.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of copending US. patent application Ser. No. 743,363, filed July 9, 1968, now U.'S. Pat. 3,561,223 granted Feb. 9, 1971, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is summarized in the foregoing abstract.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1-22, inclusive, are illustrated and described in said copending patent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely exemplify the invention which may be embodied Patented June 6, 1972 in other specific structure. The scope of the invention is defined in the claims appended hereto.

The entire disclosure of said copending US. Pat. 3,561,223 is incorporated herein by reference. Particular attention is invited to FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 thereof and to the description relating thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. An excavating wheel for a tunneling machine, said wheel having a substantially closed front face with radially elongated openings, transversely extending pintles spanning said openings at a point intermediate the radial extent thereof and gates swingable on said pintles to selectively open and close said openings, gate portions at one side of the pintle moving outwardly beyond the front Wall as gate portions at the other side of the pintle move inwardly of said wall.

2. The device of claim 1 in combination with power means to swing said gates on said pintles.

3. The device of claim 2 in which said power means comprises a fluid motor having its thrust axis transverse to the tunnel axis, a link extending axially of the tunnel and connected to the inner ends of the gates, and a right angle motion transmitting connection between the power means and the link.

4. A tunneling machine for excavating through relatively mucky earth strata generating fluid spoil, said machine having a shield with a fixed substantially closed bulkhead and an excavating wheel ahead of the bulkhead, said wheel having a face which can be substantially completely closed to breast fluid spoil, whereby two spoil barriers in tandem resist flow of fluid spoil.

'5. The machine of claim 4 in which there is a seal circumferentially about said shield and overlapping the edge of the wheel to close the gap between the shield and the wheel.

6. The machine of claim 4 in which said wheel face has openings and gates in said openings, and power means for moving said gates into and out of said openmgs.

7. The machine of claim 4 in which said bulkhead.

has a spoil removal opening, a tube through said opening, a seal between said tube and bulkhead, and means for pumping fluid spoil from said tube.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 808 Dated June 97 Inventor(s) JOhIl R. Tabor It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, Line 15, change "muck" to mucky Column 1, Line 25, delete *muek earth strata generating fluid spoil, said machine and insert --open and close said openings, gate portions at one Signed and sealed this 31st day of October 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents DRM PO-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 n u4s. covznumsm PRINTING OFFICE 190a o--:wa-ss4 

